Sullivan: As Henrik focuses on Stanley Cup, Rangers follow

Henrik Lundqvist needs to keep playing at his best for the Rangers to knock off the Kings.

LOS ANGELES – So much of this first Rangers Stanley Cup Final appearance in two decades has centered around Henrik Lundqvist, around the nine-year veteran goaltender who’d done everything but get here, about the man they call King finally playing for the ultimate hockey crown.

Lundqvist nearly stole Game 1 for his Rangers on Wednesday night at the Staples Center, continuing to stave off a barrage of shots while the rest of his team sputtered to a finish line like a pacesetter out of steam. Lundqvist’s 20-save third period was an impressive display of skill, smarts, patience and persistence, and was, in the words of coach Alain Vigneault, the only reason the Rangers survived to push the game into overtime.

But Lundqvist, like the Rangers, ran out of luck in extra time, when a bad bounce and a great shot combined to give the Kings a 3-2 win, a 1-0 series lead that has upped the New York pressure meter considerably for tonight’s Game 2.

“We understand how important this game is. We’re treating every game like a must-win,” Marty St. Louis said. “We’re going to bring our best hockey.”

That was the Thursday demand from Vigneault, who rattled a few hockey cages when he declared it was time for every player on his roster to bring what he called their ‘A’ game, rather than the select few he believed did in Game 1.

“It is that strong of an opponent that we’re playing against,” Vigneault said. “We’re not going to win if we bring our ‘B’ game to the table.”

Vigneault insisted he didn’t want to name names, but he did make one exception. When the coach said, “We had Hank that brought his ‘A’ game last night,” he spoke to the performance of an athlete ready to show the world he is ready for this stage.

Lundqvist has never avoided the Stanley Cup conversation, has always been willing to admit how much it would mean to him to have an opportunity to win a title in New York. During media day here in Los Angeles on Tuesday, he all but crumpled in mock surrender recalling the countless times he has walked past the 1994 celebration photos adorning the walls of his team’s Westchester practice facility, a constant reminder of what he doesn’t have, and what he covets so much.

“It’s something I’ve wanted for a long time,” he said. “It gets more exciting the closer you get. You try to have the same mind-set, the same focus. I’ve seen all these pictures of Rangers with the Cup and I can picture myself there. I definitely want to get there. It’s been a dream for a long time. To be in this position is very exciting.”

What he proved Wednesday night was how ready he was for that excitement. While teammates such as Derek Brassard used their media time Friday talking about the “extra gear” they quickly realized is required in this final round of the playoffs, a gear this team failed to engage for a full 60 minutes Wednesday, Lundqvist displayed no such need for transition. Rather, he appeared as cool and calm as the off-ice persona he famously portrays, from his perfectly combed hair to his sharp, pressed suit. He played with the same championship timber honed through Olympic gold (in 2006) and the Swedish pro league.

“Well, we were definitely excited to go out for warm-ups and play the first period. You could definitely tell it was different. But at the same time, you were pretty focused on what you needed to do,” Lundqvist said Friday. “I think I did the things I needed to do, I guess. When you go into a game like that, it’s a 2-2 game [in regulation], we could easily have won that game, and actually had a breakaway with 30 seconds to go.

“As a goalie, there’s obviously a lot of things you can’t control. I felt like the things I could control, I was in the right place mentally, and technically I felt pretty good. They made a couple good plays. The last goal, it’s a good shot. I thought I covered enough to make that save. But, you know, you have to give it to them as well. It was a good shot.”

To a man, the Rangers know they are desperate for victory tonight, and they know how important it is going to be to crack the stellar goalie in the opposite net. But if the Kings gain rightful confidence in playing in front of former Conn Smythe trophy winner Jonathan Quick, the Rangers are just as big believers in Lundqvist. He gave them a chance to win Wednesday, and they believe he will do the same thing in every game for as long as this series is played.

“We’ve ridden him to here,” Derek Stepan said. “He’s made some huge saves for us. He’s been such a big part of why we’re here.”
“It gives a lot of confidence to our team to have him back there,” Brassard said. “We know every game he is going to play well, that even if you get beat one-on-one he’s got your back.”

Lundqvist carried the team on his back Wednesday, before his teammates dropped the puck in overtime. He was ready for this stage. Now it’s time for everyone else to catch up.